1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to multi-row crop gathering headers or combines such as corn combines or pickers and, more particularly, is concerned with an outboard crop divider guard assembly for mounting at each of the opposite lateral ends of a multi-row crop gathering header.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Crops such as corn are generally planted in a series of parallel rows. Typical corn planters are 4 row, 6 row, 8 row and 12 row. The rows are frequently 30 inches apart, but other spacings are sometimes used. For example, some farmers use 40 inch spacing. To harvest corn a multi-row crop gathering header, usually referred to as a corn combine, is usually employed. The corn combine has a plurality of laterally-spaced-apart divider structures, or snoots, which form or define therebetween crop-receiving passageways. The corn combine is attached to a harvesting machine and the operator of the harvesting machine aligns the crop-receiving passageways with the rows of standing corn stalks. As the corn combine moves forward parallel to the rows of corn, the stalks enter the passageways where the ears of corn are stripped and gathered by the corn header leaving the stalks in the ground. Typical corn pickers are sized 2 row, 4 row, 6 row and 8 row. It is not uncommon for a farmer to have a planter with a number of rows which differs from the number of rows of the harvesting combine. For example, a farmer might plant corn using a 12 row planter and to harvest corn with an 8 row corn picker.
When using a corn combine to harvest corn, a first loss of yield can result due to variation in row spacing. An example of such variation is illustrated in FIG. 7. When rows of corn are planted using a 12 row planter, a first set of rows AA is planted as the planter is pulled across the field by a tractor. Then the planter is turned and a second set of rows BB is planted as the planter passes across the field in the opposite direction. The planter is turned and makes more passes as necessary to cover the entire field. The space Y between each of the 12 rows in a given set is uniform; however, because the planter must be turned and cross the field again, the space X between each set of rows varies. The variation in the size of X depends upon the skill of the driver of the tractor pulling the planter. When an 8 row corn combine is used to harvest corn planted by a 12 row planter, it is possible, for the first pass of the combine, to align the crop-receiving passageways of the combine with the first 8 rows of a 12 row set because the space Y between the rows is uniform, but when the corn combine is turned for the next pass it straddles the space X between adjacent sets. Since the space X varies, it is difficult if not sometimes impossible to align the passageways of the combine with the last 4 rows of the first set and the first 4 rows of the second set. Misalignment of the passageways with the rows of corn reduces the effectiveness of the corn picker in receiving with the corn stalks and thus in gathering the corn ears therefrom in the; rows at the opposite ends of the header resulting in loss of yield.
A second loss of yield is related to stalks being tangled and bent. The force of the wind blowing across a corn field may tangle and bend the corn stalks as they grow. Also, late growing season storms (sometimes with heavy wet snow) can have a devastating effect on the corn stalks and attached ears, bending the stalks away from the optimum vertical attitude sometimes to a near horizontal attitude. A third loss of yield is related to insect damage to the stalks and/or the ear attachment to the stalk; for example corn borers may weaken (i) the stalk (to cause it to fall off vertical) and/or (ii) the ear attachment (to reduce the strength of the ear attachment). Tangled and bent corn stalks and damaged ear attachments also reduce the effectiveness of the corn combine by permitting loss, i.e., movement of corn ears outwardly past the opposite lateral ends of the header resulting in loss of yield. To explain, and as is well understood by those skilled in the art, during the combining as the corn stalk enters the throat or narrowed portion of the passageway between adjacent divider structures, the stalk is caught by a hook-like lug on an endless chain which accelerates the movement of the stalk towards the rear end or back of the combine. If the stalk is vertical, the corn ears also tend to be moved toward the rear end. However, if the stalk is off-vertical and/or if the ear attachments are weak, as is sometimes the case, then the aforementioned acceleration can cause the ears to be thrown off of the stalk with considerable velocity and in a direction significantly away from the longitudinal (i.e., direction of travel of the corn picker). Some of these ears are thrown outboard of the picker. Such "errant" ears end up on the ground and can not be economically retrieved.
Rear wall vertical height extension panels and side wall vertical height extension panels with arcuate side guide panels have been mounted on corn headers to improve their effectiveness. However, these additions have proved inadequate in addressing the yield loss problems from the corn ear loss at the opposite lateral ends of the header due to the aforementioned conditions of row spacing variation and of tangled and bent stalks.
Consequently, a need still exists for an assembly to employ on the multi-row crop gathering corn header or combine which will improve the effectiveness of the corn header and reduce the yield loss caused by variation in row spacing, bent and tangled corn stalks, and/or weakened ear attachments to the stalk.